Rotatable base for traffic control gate standards



March 13, 1962 J. A. KUDERA, JR.. ET AL 3,024,550

ROTATABLE BASE FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL GATE STANDARDS W a al INVENTORS JOSEPH A. KUDERA, JR.

BY ROB RT E. HUGHES A'TTORNEY March 13, 1962 J. A. KUDERA, JR., ETAL 3,024,550

ROTATABLE BASE FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL GATE STANDARDS Filed Jan. 8, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l k x I fmln 31 1 mun I 2 I INVENTORS JOSEPH A. KUDERA, JR.

ROBERT E. HUGHES ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,024,550 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 3,024,550 ROTATABLE BASE FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL GATE STANDARDS Joseph A. Kudera, Jr., Hammond, and Robert E. Hughes, Highland, Ind; said Kudera assiguor to said Hughes Filed Jan. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 1,224 3 Claims. (Cl. 39-82) This invention relates to trafiic control gates and has particular reference to such gates at highway intersections, rail and highway intersections, approaches to bridges, etc. where trafiic in one direction must be stopped from time to time while trafiic in the cross direction proceeds. Some of these control gates are operable automatically, especially at railway-highway intersections, and some are operable manually by crossing tenders. Our invention is applicable to any type of crossing control gate.

The signal arm of these control gates is usually pivotally mounted at one end to the standard of the gate and is movable on its pivotal point to a horizontal position across the roadway or at least across one lane of the roadway. When the cross traffic has passed, the signal arm is then raised to a substantially vertical position, allowing the stopped trafiic to again proceed.

Because motorists generally are in too much of a hurry, they drive too fast and thus cannot stop quickly enough, and for other reasons, these crossing arms are frequently run into and broken, or the illuminating lights thereon burn out, and for these reasons, for example, the crossing arms must be lowered across the highway for repairs, thus stopping traflic while such repairs are being I made.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a rotatable base, turned thereon 90, and then the signaling arm lowered parallel to and at the side of the highway, so that the signal arm may be repaired without interfering with the flow of trafiic. It is obvious that the signal arm would only be lowered parallel with the highway when it is in need of some repair.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing forming part of this application and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a trafiic control gate with the signal arm thereof lowered to horizontal position.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1 illustrating in dotted lines the signal arm turned 90 from its ordinary position.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, drawn to an enlarged scale of the turntable assembly which is installed under the standard and which renders the standard rotatable.

FIG. 4 is a section on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a common crossing gate standard is shown at 5. This is usually a rectangular hollow box like structure within which the electric mechanism not shown is installed for lowering and raising the signal arrn, shown at 10. These arms are usually illuminated, the lamps for which purpose are indicated at 12, and pivotally mounted at one end as at 16 to the standard. The lower corner edges of opposite sides of the standard are provided with laterally projecting ears 14 through which bolts extend to secure the standard firmly to a concrete base or other solid surface indicate at 15 at ground level to support the device, all of which is common in the art.

To accomplish the above mentioned object of the invention we have provided a turntable to be installed under the present standards, so that the standards then become rotatable about its vertical axis. To this end we have provided a turntable comprising a base plate 1 and a top plate 4-, which plates are shown as of substantially the same size as that of the standard. Between these plates 1 and 4 is a race 3, which is shown as being circular and having mounted thereupon a plurality of ball bearings 18. Any suitable anti-friction means may be used in place of the ball bearings 18 and function equally as well, though ball bearings are recognized as a superior anti-friction means. Plates 1 and 4 are provided with an axial opening within which the pipe 2 may be installed to provide a conduit for electric cable to pass to the operating mechanism.

The supporting base 15 is also provided with a like opening so that said wires may pass therethrough to the operating equipment. The base plate 1 is secured in any acceptable manner to the supporting base 15. Thus the-top plate 4, resting upon the ball bearing 18, may rotate about the pipe 2, the lower end of which pipe is welded to the base plate 1 so as to be immovable with respect thereto. The bottom of the standard 5 rests upon and is secured in any desired manner to the top plate 4, and while the weight of the standard is deemed suificient to hold the top plate 4 upon the ball race, yet we have provided a ring 6 about the pipe 2 immediately above the top plate 4, which ring is provided with a plurality of set screws 7 to hold the ring fixed in relation to the pipe 2, and thereby the top plate in position upon the ball bearings 18.

To secure the turntable in any set position, I have shown a locking pin indicated at 8 whichis extendable through any of registering holes 21 spaced apart in the plates 1 and 4 and thereby hold them immovable with respect to each other. The top of the pin 8 is spot-welded in the throat of a small angle indicated at 20 which acts as a handle and by which the pin may be removed when it is desired to rotate the standard.

It will be noted that a lug 22 is welded on edge to the top plate 4 adjacent one edge thereof externally of the standard. One flange of the angle 20 abuts against the lug 22, and through these abutting surfaces are registering holes indicated in dotted lines at 23 so that a padlock or other securing means may be inserted therethrough to lock the device in any selected position, and thus comply with safety requirements.

From the above it should be obvious as to how the device functions. When it is desired to examine or repair a crossing signal arm 10, the pin 8 is removed by lifting the angle 20, when the standard may be rotated 90, and the pin 8 inserted in any of the registering holes 21, which will hold the standard in that position. The signal arm may then be lowered which will be parallel to and at the side of the highway, and the repairs thus made without interfering with the fiow of the trailic. When the repairs are made the signal arm is raised to its vertical position, the pin 8 removed, the standard rotated 90 back to its original position, the pin 8 installed, and the crossing arm is then in position for customary operation.

While we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is recognized that various modifications in structure may be resorted to within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a traffic control gate, the combination of a mounting base at substantially ground lever at the side of a roadway, a turntable comprising upper and lower plates upon said mounting base, said turntable and mounting base having axial registering openings therethrough, an annular race between said plates about said axial opening, anti-friction means between adjacent surfaces of said plates, said lower plate being fixed to said mounting base, a standard upon and fixed to said upper plate, registrable openings provided through said plates and race, means selectively insertable through registering openings provided in the plates to selectively position the turntable in a plurality of positions, a signal arm pivotally secured at one end to the upper portion of said standard and movable through operating mechanism carried on said standard, between horizontal and vertical positions.

2. 'In a tratfic control gate, the combination of a mounting base fixed at ground level to and at the side of a roadway, said mounting base having a vertical axial opening therethrough, a turntable comprising upper and lower plates upon said mounting base, an annular race between said plates surrounding the hereinafter mentioned opening therethrough, anti-friction means between adjacent surfaces of said race, said lower plate being fixed to said mounting base, a standard upon said turntable, the bottom of said standard being fixed to said upper plate, a signal arm pivotally secured at one end to the upper portion of said standard and movable from a vertical to a horizontal position, registrable openings through said plates and race in register with the mounting base opening, means selectively insertable through other registering openings in said upper and lower plates to selectively position the turntable and standard thereon in a first position or a second position, whereby in said first position said signal arm may be raised or lowered across the roadway, and in said second position said signal arm may be raised or lowered in a plane approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of said roadway.

3. The combination with a complete traflic control gate including a fixed mounting base at ground level at the side of a roadway, a traflic control standard upon said mounting base, and a signal arm pivotally supported at one end to the upper end of said standard so that said signal arm may be raised and lowered between vertical and horizontal positions, of means for selectively positioning said standard whereby in one position said signal arm may be raised and lowered across the roadway and in a second position said signal arm may be raised and lowered in plane approximately parallel to the side of the roadway, said means comprising a turntable disposed between said fixed mounting base and the bottom of said standard, and manually operated means in conjunction with said turntable to selectively position said standard in said one position or said second position, said turntable and said standard having registering axial openings therethrough providing a passage therethrough for electric cable to operating mechanism for the signal arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 271,054 Fowler Jan. 23, 1883 1,914,359 Butts June 20, 1933 1,952,641 Vincent Mar. 27, 1934 2,137,193 Stafford Nov. 15, 1938 

